Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-01-31
A Man MISSING.
A PRESTON COUNTY MINER NYSTERl0USLf
DISAPPEARS.
A Terrible Crime IN BaIDn County-fwo Per
sons Fatally Barnsd-Gansral
Sais News

disappearance OF one cf her citizens un'ii
several days ago, - Lewis, 4 miner m
ployed in the shaft, and a resident OF the
town for some time, was, upon the evening
of his disappearance, seen to enter a drink
ing place where he became involved IN q
quarrel with the proprietor, a man by the
name of Belts, and has not been seen
since. Some say that a pistol shot was
heard in the house on the evening in ques-
ton, but no positive proof can be had as
to that fact. 1t was also reported that
Lewis had been found in n Of the de-
serted coal mines on the hill above town,
but that, too, is denied, and rs yet no
clew as to his whereabouts has been
found although search has been diligently
made. Some think that he has left for
parts unknown while under the influence
of LIQUOR. while Others entertain the belief
that he has been fOuly dealt with and his
body secreted. The latter class is not
positive enough that their theofy Is
correct to cause any arrests to be made.
Deniel Staub, of M~artinsburg, an engin-
Ger on the b. & o., was robbed of $3.50 a
few DAYS ago. Hestarted from home with
$500 in his pocketbook. He spent $40 for
store bills and then went on a lark. He
woke up next morning minus money n
pocketbook, aud with no recollection of
how they had disappeared. Ann Johnson,
a colored girl, showed two other cOlOred
women, on the night of the robbery, a
pocketbook full OF greenbacks, which she
declared she had taken from Staub, saying
she would keep the money, but burn the
pocketbOok. Complaint was made to De-
tective Charles O'Neal, and in al hour he
had all the clue he wished, and in company
with Deputy Sheriff Charles Hollis, went
to the house of one Cyrus Pritchard, and
finding the woman johnson within, ac-
cused her Of stealing the money. This
she denied. The officers then searched in
the ashes and found the frame of a pocket
book, but a thorough search Of the premises
failed to reveal the money.
Messrs. Alex Murphy and James Furr,
of Harper's Ferry, were engaged in hauling
! with a two-horse team of Mr.. Murphy'S
to a car near the h. & o. crossing at DUFF
fields depot. While crossing the tracks,
and when partly over. the thunder and
rumble OF the limited express, which was
several hours late, indicated danger. Mr..
Murphy jumped from his seat on the wagon
and attempted to back the team. The
horses would not bulge. Just then the
engine struck the animals, killing both,
and nj the same time lifted Mr.. NJ. higher
than the smoke-stack. Hi head and side
were fearfully cut and bruised. At the
same time Mr.. Furr, who was IN the rear
of the wagon. attempted To Jump out, but
fell in front of the engine and was instantly
killed. The accident was a terrible affair,
and the greatest wonder about it was that
Murphy was not also killed.
The BraxtOn Central says: News
reached us Thursday of a terrible crime
perpetrated m Long Run, this county,
some ten or fifteen days ago, which re-
suited in the death of Levi Plyman,
which occurred last Monday. 1t seems
that Plyman, who is a married man, liv-
ing on Oil creek, this county, was on
Long Bun, where live some women of
questionable character. Some parties,
whose names for the present are sup
pressed, caught Plyman and performed a
nameless operation upon him, which
caused his death ~ above. We under
stand some of the parties who committed
the crime are known, but do not know
that any arrests have been made"
Gran. +. Taft, of Philippi, met
with what might nave been n serious mis-.
hap on the railroad about six miles above
town last Friday. He was taking a ride
~ a railroad velocipede aud was running
the machine backward at considerable
speed when it jumped the track and land
ed him about two rods ahead Of il in a
newly made emblnkmcnt which, being of
earth and very soft, allowed him TO escape
with nothing more serious than a good
shaking up. The velocipede did not fare
80 well rs the rider, but was a good deal
disfigured.
MesSrs. w. ID. Hoke and f.. G. Cieer, of
the firm of Gcer, Smith x Co., of Little
Washington, Pa, experienced oi! men,
have been at Martinsburg for some time
prospecting for oil and natural gas. They
report the indications in that locality as
being good, and are anxious to secure
leases on property, within a radius of
some miles, 80 that they can proceed to
sink shafts to develop what they claim is
beneath the surface. A meeting of citi-
zens was held last Thursday to forward
the enterprise.
A man named w. S. Kiser, formerly an
Adventist preacher, was arrested by Dep
uty L. s.. Marshal Mehen q few days since,
g., ,,nl,t.aa ID H.. au n. IL
a den near the angle Of the counties OF
Roanc, Jackson and Kanawha, and here he
would sell q quart of salt for fifty cents
and throw in a pint of ''apple jack" He
had around him a gang of desperadoes,
and he and they were a terror TO the cOun-
try round.
Miss Christina Berry, a young lady H-
siding in Clay district, Monongalia county,
had u narrow escape a few days ago from
being burned to death. While standing
near the fire her dress ignited and burned
nearly of. In this fearful position she
kept her presence of mind, did not start to
run and scream, but tore her clothes off
and threw them away. As il was she was
seriously burned, hut will soon recover.
Had it not been for her GOODNESS and nerve
SDe WOulu no uOuDt nave Dcen fatally
burned.
A terrible fight took place near the
mouth of West Fork, Writ county, last
Saturday, in which six or eight men and
a woman or two figured. The difficulty
grew out of some neighborhood talk about
a female member Of one of the b~elligerent
families and resulted in two or three broken
heads and battered jaws, two or three at
least of the combatants being seriously
injured.
Quite an excitement was caused at
Keyser, Sunday last, by the blasting of
the ice, which was gorged at the new rail-
road bridge in the river. Dynamite was
used with effective results. The ice was
started after a half dozen blasts, which
moved for a nile up the river, with con-
siderable noise. Many people witnessed
the sight.
Miss Mazella Hays, residing near Lo-
BROWNS